CourtMesh

Section 278A: Punishment for second and subsequent offences

The Income-tax Act, 1961Central Act · Act 43 of 1961

Repealed. This text is published for reference. It is not in force, and it should not be relied on as current law without checking what replaced it. Repealed by the Income-tax Act, 2025, with effect from 1 April 2026

Punishment for second and subsequent offences.

If any person convicted of an offence under section 276B or section 276BB or sub-section (1) of section 276C or section 276CC or section 276DD or section 276E or section 277 or section 278 is again convicted of an offence under any of the aforesaid provisions, he shall be punishable for the second and for every subsequent offence with [simple] imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to [three] years and with fine.

Where this provision sits

ActThe Income-tax Act, 1961
Section278A
Marginal notePunishment for second and subsequent offences
JurisdictionCentral
StatusRepealed

How this provision has been amended

Taken from the footnotes printed with the provision by the source. Where a footnote names the amending instrument, it is quoted as printed.

  • substituted, Act No. 4 of 2026. Substituted for "rigorous" by Act No. 4 of 2026, w.e.f. 1-3-2026.
  • substituted, Act No. 4 of 2026. Substituted for "seven" by Act No. 4 of 2026, w.e.f. 1-3-2026.

Find the provision, not just read it

The full text above is free, and it stays free. What a free CourtMesh account adds is everything you cannot do by reading one page at a time:

  • Search 49,000+ Central and State enactments by what a provision says, not by its number
  • Jump from any section to every judgment that has applied it
  • Search 300 million+ Indian court records alongside the statute
  • Ask a research agent to find and read the case law on a provision for you

Free account. No card. About a minute to create.

Create a free account

Need this as data, not as a page? The Income-tax Act, 1961 is one of 49,000+ enactments on CourtMesh. The Indian court cases API serves the case law that cites these provisions over JSON, with API documentation and plans and pricing. See also the judgment library.